Self-feeding and self-doffing opener cleaner for textile fibers



July 7, 1959 R. A. RUSCA ET AL 2,893,064

, SELF-FEEDING AND SELF-DOFFING OPENER CLEANER FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Filed July 18, 1955 AIR OUTLET TO SUCTION FIGEB.

INVENTORS RALPH A. RUSCA RAY C. YOUNG ATTORNEYS United States Patent v H zr 9 "SELF-FEEDING AND SELF-DOFFIN G OPENER CLEANER FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Ralph A. Rusca and Ray C. Young, New Orleans, La., as-

signors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Application July 18, 1955, Serial No. 522,886

2 Claims. (Cl. 19-76) (Granted under Title 35, U8. 'Code (1952), sec. 266) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the invention herein described, throughout the world for all purposes of the United States Government, with the power to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted to the Government of the United States of America.

This invention relates to an opener cleaner for textile fibers, particularly an opener cleaner which utilizes a fiber working beater cylinder comprising a hollow cylindrical roll clothed with fiber Working teeth and adapted to pick up partially opened fibers, such as those produced by elements of cotton-openers, bale breakers, pickers, or the like fiber processing machines, without the necessity of employing feeding elements, then to carry the thus picked-up fibers while they are acted upon by fiber processing elements, such as grid bars and the like, and then to release the picked-up-and-carried fibers into the operating area of another fiber processing element without the aid of a doffing element.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation, in cross-section, of the opener cleaner of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a three-dimensional view, partially in section, of a detail.

Referring to the drawing, the opener cleaner provides a hollow fiber working beater cylinder 11 having closed ends and rotatably mounted on stationary shaft 12 by means of conventional anti-friction bearings 13 and 14. The cylinder 11 is provided with belt groove 15 adapted to receive rotary motion from a conventional V-belt, not shown.

The peripheral surface of cylinder 11 is provided with perforations 16 and fiber working teeth 17 mounted thereon. The perforations can have a wide variety of shapes and can be arranged in conjunction with the teeth in a variety of manners so long as the perforations are adapted to allow a relatively uniform flow of air through the cyinder surface and to provide adequate support for the fiber working teeth. Although any conventional fiber working teeth may be used, the preferred teeth are fiber working teeth having forward edges constructed at such an angle to the cylinder radius that the teeth mechanically pick up fibers and centrifugally discharge the picked-up fibers within a complete revolution of the cylinder. Such teeth, which are described in greater detail in Patent No. 2,607,958, are depicted in Fig. 3.

The opener cleaner also includes a housing 20 for the accumulation of dirt and trash which is provided with an air inlet duct 21 and an air outlet duct 22. Communication between the inlet duct, the interior of the cylinder, and the outlet duct is provided by the perforations 16. The housing contains the cylinder 11, the shaft 12 as well as grid bars 23, mounted below the rotatable cylinder. An air baflle 25, having segments 26 and 27, is secured to the surface of stationary shaft 12 and is so arranged within the cylinder that the flow of air therein is permitted only in those areas adjacent to the inlet and outlet ducts.

Fibers are pneumatically conveyed into and out of the 2 cleaner by the action of an external suction means, not shown, communicating with the outlet duct 22 of the housing. The baffle 25 is arranged to permit the flow of air through perforations 16 only in those areas adjacent to the inlet duct 21 and the outlet duct 22. The suction means thus creates a current of air flowing into the beater cylinder in the area adjacent to inlet duct 21 and flowing out of the cylinder in the area adjacent to outlet duct 22. The flow of air across the top of the cylinder is restricted by the fan action of the teeth 17 as they move close to the top of the housing 20 in a direction opposing such flow of air. The flow of air under the bottom of the cylinder is restricted by the deflecting action of the grid bars 23 each tending to direct a thin stream of air into dead air space 30, and by the fibers between the teeth and the grid bars. A series of battle plates 31 mounted within the housing below the grid bars prevent circulating air currents and the consequent transfer of the dirt and trash initially removed from the fibers back up through the grid bars.

In the operation of the opener cleaner, the cylinder is rotated, and the suction means activated whereupon air, carrying the incoming trash-laden fibers, is drawn from the inlet duct through the perforate surface of the cylinder adjacent to the inlet duct while the fibers being carried thereby are deposited on this surface and carried thereon as the cylinder rotates. The drawn air, meanwhile, flows into the interior of the cylinder and thence is directed, by virtue of the baffle arrangement, through the perforate surface of the cylinder to the outside thereof in the area adjacent to the outlet duct, whereupon the resulting clean fibers, being carried on the cylinder and having reached this area during the one complete revolution of the rotating cylinder, are dofifed therefrom by the flowing air and carried away therewith into the outlet duct.

As the fibers being .carried on the rotating cylinder contact the grid bars they are subjected to a buffetingcleaning action thereby removing dirt and trash from the fibers which fall into, and remain in, dead air space 30 of the housing.

We claim:

1. An opener cleaner for textile fibers comprising a hollow, fiber working beater cylinder having closed ends and a perforate peripheral surface, fiber working teeth mounted on said surface, a stationary shaft on which said beater cylinder is rotatably mounted, grid bars mounted below said rotatable beater cylinder, a housing for accumulation of dirt and trash provided with an inlet duct and outlet duct and containing the said beater cylinder, stationary shaft, and grid bars, perforations in said peripheral surface of the beater cylinder providing communication between said inlet duct, the interior of the cylinder, and said outlet duct, an external suction means communicating with said outlet duct of the housing, an air baffle secured to the surface of the shaft and arranged within the interior of the beater cylinder so that when the cylinder is rotated and the suction means activated, air, carrying the incoming fibers, is drawn from said inlet duct through the perforate surface of the cylinder adjacent to the inlet duct While the fibers being carried thereby are deposited on this surface and carried thereon as the cylinder rotates, the drawn air meanwhile flowing into the interior of the cylinder and thence being directed, by virtue of the baflle arrangement, through the perforate surface of the cylinder to the outside thereof in the area adjacent to the outlet duct whereupon the fibers, being carried on the cylinder and having reached this area during the one complete revolution of the rotating cylinder, are doifed therefrom by the flowing air and carried away therewith into said outlet duct.

2. The opener cleaner of claim 1 wherein a series of baflie plates are mounted within the housing below the grid bars to prevent circulating air currents and the crimequent transfer of the dirt and trash initially removed from the fibers back up through the grid bars.

4 S und rs ign 13 191? Saunders Oct. '8, 1918 McDonough et al. Mar. 4, 1924 McDonough Mar. 4, 1924 Rackemann Mar. 4, 1924 Wilkinsoh "e't'z'il. Sept. 13, 1927 Dec. 

